Gender differences and dynamics in competition: the role of luck

In a real effort experiment with repeated competition we find strikingdifferences in how the work effort of men and women responds to previous winsand losses. For women losing per se is detrimental to productivity, but formen a loss impacts negatively on productivity only when the prize at stake isbig enough. Responses to luck are more persistent and explain more of thevariation in behavior for women, and account for about half of the genderperformance gap in our experiment. Our findings shed new light on why womenmay be less inclined to pursue competition-intensive careers.

Item Type: MPRA Paper -

Original Title: Gender differences and dynamics in competition: the role of luck-